"North & South" (2004) TV mini-series

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

2 July 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

North and South is a four part adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's love story of Margaret Hale, a middle class southerner who is forced to move to the northern town of Milton.

Plot Keywords:

Prejudice | Cotton Mill | Marriage Proposal | Strike | Factory Accident

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Daniela Denby-Ashe	...	Margaret Hale (4 episodes, 2004)
Richard Armitage	...	John Thornton (4 episodes, 2004)
Tim Pigott-Smith	...	Richard Hale (4 episodes, 2004)
Sinéad Cusack	...	Hannah Thornton (4 episodes, 2004)
Brendan Coyle	...	Nicholas Higgins (4 episodes, 2004)
Anna Maxwell Martin	...	Bessy Higgins (4 episodes, 2004)
Jo Joyner	...	Fanny Thornton (4 episodes, 2004)
Pauline Quirke	...	Dixon (4 episodes, 2004)
Kay Lyon	...	Mary Higgins (4 episodes, 2004)
Lesley Manville	...	Maria Hale (3 episodes, 2004)
Brian Protheroe	...	Mr. Bell (3 episodes, 2004)
Rupert Evans	...	Frederick Hale (3 episodes, 2004)
John Light	...	Henry Lennox (3 episodes, 2004)
Emma Ferguson	...	Edith Shaw Lennox (3 episodes, 2004)
William Houston	...	John Boucher (3 episodes, 2004)
Jane Booker	...	Mrs. Shaw (3 episodes, 2004)
Lucy Brown	...	Ann Latimer (3 episodes, 2004)
Tom Charnock	...	Williams (3 episodes, 2004)
Tim Faraday	...	Mr. Watson (3 episodes, 2004)
Travis Oliver	...	Capt. Maxwell Lennox (3 episodes, 2004)
Caroline Pegg	...	Mrs. Boucher (3 episodes, 2004)
Will Tacey	...	Mr. Latimer (3 episodes, 2004)
David Crellin	...	Mr. Slickson (2 episodes, 2004)
Shaun Hennessey	...	Mr. Henderson (2 episodes, 2004)
Frank Lauder	...	Stephens (2 episodes, 2004)
Carl McCrystal	...	Henderson Worker (2 episodes, 2004)
Ian McHale	...	Stone (2 episodes, 2004)
Martin Walsh	...	Mr. Hamper (2 episodes, 2004)
Spencer Wild	...	Tom Boucher (2 episodes, 2004)

Runtime:

235 min (4 parts)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Australia:PG | UK:PG (parts 1-3) | UK:12 (part 4)

Filming Locations:

33 Portland Place, Marylebone, London, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

Richard Armitage was one of the first actors to audition for the role of John Thorton and one of the last to be cast.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the last scene where Margaret and John are at the train station, the same woman in a brown bonnet and coat walks around or past the characters a total of eleven times.

Quotes:

Margaret Hale: I wish I could tell you how lonely I am. How cold and harsh it is here. Everywhere there is conflict and unkindness. I think God has forsaken this place. I believe I have seen hell and it's white, it's snow-white.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Story of the Costume Drama: Affairs of the Heart (#1.3)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Northbound Train

a great adaptation

With "North and South" the BBC has continued its fine tradition of producing great adaptations. Indeed "North and South" is one of the very best the BBC has done, capturing the nuances of the novel perfectly and bringing out the latent eroticism of the book. The only quibble is the way the screenwriter has changed the ending from that of the novel. Although this will irk some, I thought the new ending was in keeping with the story as a whole. The acting throughout is superb, especially from Richard Armitage as the brooding Mr Thornton - he captures exactly the character's pride, brutality, warmth and passion. I think Richard Armitage would be a very good James Bond.